Grey River Argus WEDNESDAY, Feb. 5th, 1930. THE NICOL HARBOUR SCHEME.

Grey River Argus, 5 February 1930, Page 4

Grey River Argus WEDNESDAY, Feb. 5th, 1930. THE NICOL HARBOUR SCHEME.

When the. future of the Greymouth Harbour was some little time ago a crucial question, the Chairman of the Harbour Board, Mr P. J. McLean, was outspoken in the opinion that the finest engineering skill which it would be possible anywhere to secure should be brought to bear upon the problem. Last night he gave a remarkable not to say a unique, demonstration of his fidelity to that conviction when he tabled for the Board a scheme drawn up by a harbour engineer of the highest calibre to bq, found anywhere, one ranking possibly as the foremost in Great Britain, Mr

R. Gordon Niiol, whose interest in this far-distant port Mr Me Lean enlisted only out, of regard for national interests, and, no doubt, for the great enthusiasm which inspires the energy of the Board’s Chairman in his endeavour to improve our harbour. We had, however, already alluded to the advantage for a community that lies in such a spirit on the part of public men, and had voiced what we believed to be the grateful sense in which the public regard it in the instance under notice. There were those whose foresight was so constricted as to suggest the recognition should take the form of a formal vote of thanks, and an utter disregard of whatever new light the report of so eminent an engineer as Mr Nicol might throw* upon the matter. We fancy somebody is now sorry for dismissing the matter so offhandedly. At anyrate, we are pleased to see that the Board itself is taking it no less seriously than New Zealand engineers of proven ability are said to be doing! A perusal of the very clear, concise and confident report by Mr Nicol may be made by our readers in another column. It will doubtless open up a new point of view for the majority, but it will be noted that the plan for constructing two long curved breakwaters on each side of the present harbour entrance is one that in no way in- ; terferes with the work either, already done or in hand, but gives the assurance of something no previous scheme had even contemplated, namely, a port with an entrance permanently free from silting, and a channel permanently dredgable. The breakwaters would apparently be from three to four thousand feet m length; and with the inexhaustible supply of stone available, they could be J constructed out of. revenue at such a rate as to suit. the Boaid s finances. One thing it is imporf - ant to observe is that the scheme seis the Board a definite final objective at which to aim. That has hitherto been undoubtedly lacking. It is, of course, for our experts yet to pronounce upon the plan, not so much as to its feasibility, but as to its cost ±or the idea that underlies the scheme is one that has already proven its utility in instances too numerous to detail in many parts of the world. The lagoon dredging plan, designed though it was merely for a scheme with gradually narrowing walls at the bar, could be incorporated m the Nicol scheme, but the time, as is pointed out in the report, has evidently come when further improvement along present lines or development is so increasingly difficult that the existing training works for the river require to be supplemented by sea works. Granting that these would a silt-free entrance, the public would doubtless be no less anxious than the shipping interests for the scheme to Be adopted and gradually carried out. The end which the engineer has in view is to secure the safe and ready entry of large vessels in all weathers, which would obviously re,present a great advance upon, pi esent possibilities, and aveH innumerable costly delays. lhe lagoon scheme represents an eventual outlay of £llB,OOO, which ■ sum would go a considerable distance upon the breakwater one, and in addition the previously contemplated outlay on the present training walls would be obviated, allowing it to be diverted to the breakwaters. It remains, meantime, for the Board to obtain the observations ot Messrs Furkert and Johnston upon the scheme of Mr Nicol, and then it will be for it to make a decision. In any event, the report is to be regarded as a very valuable one, and as the Board members last evening were at one in recognising the Chairman is deserving, ot the best thanks of the community for his enterprise and initiative in securing it entirely by his own efforts, and -without any expense for Ihe Board whatever.